We can reduce now the effects of Natural Disasters
>From now on we are prepared to declare war on natural disasters.
Finally, after taking a tragically long time, the nation was
figured out the proper way to think and react on natural
disasters. That includes even hurricanes such as Rita or
Katrina.
During the human history, natural disasters were seen as fury
acts of gods. For this cause humans didn't seek to understand
and attenuate the force of natural disasters. Even when Benjamin
Franklin invented in 1752 the lightning rod, preachers objected
to his great idea of using it just because in their eyes the
"rod of iron" was in competition with the Holy Cross.
Even if in the 20th century most people saw natural disasters as
just that, some calamities were seen as local problems, not
national problems. We know that during the great flood of the
Mississippi River, in 1927, President Calvin Coolidge refused to
visit the affected area by those natural disasters and even
refused an offer from NBC Radio to broadcast a national appeal
for charity aid.
It is the American tradition of decentralized local and state
control that is being re-evaluated. Even if issues of economic
development and welfare reform are solved easier by local mayors
or governors such natural disasters like Katrina hurricane need
centralization.
If local authorities can't be trusted to elaborate efficient
evacuation plans in case of natural disasters, then, that task
should be given to the national authorities.
The principal role in the war against natural disasters is the
role of the army. In my opinion the U.S. Department of Defense
should have clear orders: Defend the U.S in every case
(especially in natural disasters cases).
What about that Latinate law, Posse Comitatus Act? It dates to
1878 when southern white people were using KKK-type violence to
put in a brutal post-slavery Jim Crow regime in Dixie. The only
obstacle was some federal troops left over from the Civil War,
that were ordered later out by a Southern Congressmen law. So
this is not a principle worth defending or venerating. Problems
with this act emerged long before such natural disasters like
Katrina, when, on 9/11 military jets and anti-aircraft missiles
sat quietly as an airplane crashed intro the Pentagon nearly an
hour after the first attack at WTC.
Rules need to be changed further so our army can save more lives
affected by natural disasters or terrorist attacks.